1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a briquette using industrial wastes. More specifically, the present invention relates to a briquette for a raw material for iron manufacture that can effectively use a fine powder generated during comminution of crude materials for iron manufacture such as manganese ores, or to a briquette for introduction into a slag generating apparatus that can effectively reuse a comminuted powder of alumina (Al2O3) grinding stones obtained in comminuting the used alumina grinding stones.
2. Description of the Related Art
A variety of technologies relating to reuse of wastes in iron manufacturing industry (used hereinbelow as a general concept enclosing pig iron manufacture and steelmaking) have been suggested toward the realization of a recycling-oriented society. For example, a technology has been suggested for briquetting cotton-like (fibrous) aggregates comprising powders, oil and water that are generated during grinding (used hereinbelow as a general concept enclosing polishing, ultrafinish polishing, lapping, and the like) of ferrous metals such as bearing steels or carburized steels and reusing them as raw materials for steelmaking (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Nos. 2002-129248 and 2001-310259).
The aforesaid suggested technologies can effectively reuse grinding powders of ferrous metals that have been heretofore processed as wastes, but a lot of materials are still processed as wastes in the iron manufacturing industry. Examples thereof include fine powders of manganese ores or used alumina grinding stones.
Manganese ores are used to increase rolling ability in manufacturing spring steels or high-strength thin steel sheets (for automobiles or the like) and usually manganese ores are introduced into a converter after comminuting to 50 mm3 or less. However, a fine powder with a size of 10 mm3 or less that is generated during such comminution is scattered inside the furnace and whirled up. For this reason, at present, this fine powder is recovered with a dust collector and used, for example, as an inexpensive coke in blast furnaces or is directly processed as wastes. For this reason, it is desirable to develop a technology capable of effectively using fine powders with a small particle size, that requires no waste treatment.
On the other hand, alumina grinding stones are mounted on various grinding apparatuses and used, e.g., for polishing cast iron and steel. However, alumina grinding stones that have been fully used are usually recovered by the manufacturer, entrusted to waste treatment specialists, and buried. Accordingly is desirable, from the standpoint of environmental protection and effective utilization of resources, to develop a technology for reusing the used alumina grinding stones.
With the foregoing in view, it is an object of the present invention to provide briquettes for raw materials for iron manufacture that can effectively use fine powders generated in comminuting the crude materials for iron manufacture and briquettes for introduction into slag generating apparatus that can effectively reuse the used alumina grinding stones.